Another rabid fox reported in region

For the second time in three weeks, a fox has tested positive for rabies in the Texico-Farwell area.

Farwell Police Chief Larry Kelsay said a fox “attacked the shovels of some workers” in southwest Farwell early this week.

“We euthanized the fox and (tests) came back positive for rabies,” Kelsay said on Thursday.

Last month, a pair of fox attacks were reported in Texico.

“We had a fox attack a dog,” Texico Police Chief Doug Bowman said. “The owner put the fox down. We secured the fox, had it sent off to the state lab (through a local veterinarian’s office) and it came back positive for rabies.”

Last month, the New Mexico Department of Health confirmed Curry County was one of four counties where skunks with rabies have been identified this year. The release confirmed five rabid skunks in Curry, Quay, De Baca and Colfax counties, but did not indicate how many were in each county.

The DPH reminds residents and visitors to be aware of animals behaving strangely, whether they are wild animals or domestic creatures, and to keep pet rabies vaccinations up to date.

Some guidelines from the department include:

• Avoid feeding wild animals, or touching wild animals whether alive or dead.

• If bitten by an animal, immediately wash the exposed site with soap and water for 10-15 minutes, report the bite to animal control and seek medical care.

• To report a sick or dead wild animal, or any wild animal acting abnormally, contact local authorities.